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' No. 6|8,698. Patented Jan. 3|, I899.

W. C. L0EFFEL.

FOLDING PACKING.

(Application filed July 11, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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.of the packing. tional view taken approximately on the line ATENT OFFICE.

lVILLlAM O. LOEFFEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FOLDING PACKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,698, dated January 31, 1899.

Application filed July 11, 1 89 8.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM O. LOEFFEL, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Packings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to folding packing; and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftershown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a box or crate in which is located my improved folding packing. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one section Fig. 3 is a transverse sec- 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View of a section of my improved packing, the same being folded or collapsed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional viewtaken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 1 indicate the longitudinallyextending members or strips of my improved packing, the same being of such length as that they will readily fit within the box or crate in which the packing is to be located, and said longitudinally-extending members are each constructed of thin strips of wood, heavy strawboard, or analogous material. Formed-through these strips or members, at equal distances apart and immediately above each other, are the apertures 2, and extending longitudinally from the top of the upper one of each of these pairs of apertures and from the bottom of the lowerone of said pairs of apertures are the slots 3, the same communicating at their outer ends with the triangular openings 4, the same being located a slight distance from the apertures 2, and the adjacent points of said openings4 being connected by the slit 5. Thus a tongue 6 is formed between the apertures 2 and 4, the same being provided with the point 7, and said tongue being connected to the body of the strip by the neck 8, the same being located between the apertures 2. These necks 8 are formed narrow in order that they will readily yield or bend to allow the tongues 6 to bend laterally when the parts of the pack ing are folded.

Serial No. 685,663. (No model.)

Where the strips 1 are of considerable height for use in packing bottles, &c., it is my intention to form two or more horizontally-arranged rows of these tongues 6; but where the packing is used for eggs and the like but a single row of said tongues need be formed.

' The transversely-arranged strips 9, that combine with the longitudinally-arranged strips 1 to form the packing, are constructed of the same material as are said strips 1, and said strips 9 are of such width as that they will readily pass through the opening in front of the tongue 6, which opening is composed of a pair of apertures 4, connected by the slit 5. Located at equal distances apart in the strips 9 are the circular apertures 10, which are of such size as that they will readily receive the points 7 of the tongues 6. When the strips 1 and 9 of my improved packing are positioned together, said strips 9 will pass through the openings in front of the tongues 6 and the points 7 of said tongues will engage in the apertures 10 in the strips 9, and thus a series of compartments are formed for the reception of the articles tobe packed.

WVhen my improved packing is folded or collapsed, the longitudinal members or strips 1 are forced together, and by so doing the tongues 6 and points 7 will bend laterally a slight distance in order to allow the transverse strips or members 9 to fold between said longitudinal strips or members 1.

In some instances four of the apertures 2 are arranged adjacent each other in the form of a rectangle, the tops of the upper pair of apertures and the lower portions of the lower pair of apertures being connected by slots 11, and the material between said slots is separated by a vertical slit 12, thus forming two tongues, one of which may be pointed, as indicated by 13, between which tongues passes the transverse strip or member 9. When this construction is used and the packing is folded or collapsed, one of the tongues will bend in one direction, while the opposite tongue will bend in the opposite direction.

A packing of my improved construction is very simple and durable, will not readily become separated after being once positioned together, and said packing may be folded any number of times without breakage or without injury to either of the series of strips or tongues formed therein.

I claim- A folding packing, constructed with a plurality of longitudimany-extending strips, in which are located the pairs of apertures 2 and 4, which apertures are connected by the slots 3, the resilient tongues 6 formed between said apertures, the necks 8 being formed between certain of said apertures and connecting said tongues with the bodies of the strips, and the transversely-arranged strips 9 provided with suitably-arranged apertures through which the points of the tongues engage, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM O. LOEFFEL.

Vitnesses:

M. P. SMITH, JOHN C. HIGDON. 

